1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically supplying electrical components to a station of a machine which automatically assembles electrical components to printed circuit boards.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
In machines for automatically assembling DIP type components to printed circuit boards, a plurality of tubular holders containing the components in linear array are mounted on the machine above a station from which the components are selected and then transported to an assembly head which inserts the leads of the component into the preselected openings in the board. A machine of this type is illustrated in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,347. In practice, as the tubular holders (called sticks) are emptied of the components, another holder will be substituted at that station. To eliminate the necessity of the machine operator continually replacing empty holders during the operation of the machine, it is desirable to provide an apparatus to mount a plurality of holders in a series so that an empty holder can automatically be replaced with a full holder. An example of such an apparatus is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,234.
The prior art devices, hwwever, have required the operator to remove the empty holder before a full holder can be properly positioned at the station.